Stenosis narrows the central canal, lateral recess, or neural foramina, compressing neural structures. It results from disc degeneration, ligament thickening, facet hypertrophy, and osteophyte formation.
Congenital narrowing predisposes some individuals to symptoms.
Alternative Names:
Canal Stenosis, Spinal Canal Narrowing
Why it Matters?
Stenosis is inherently a degenerative process developing over years, which makes it strong evidence of a preexisting condition. The plaintiff response is that trauma rendered an asymptomatic stenosis symptomatic, which is an aggravation theory rather than a causation theory. That framing shifts the dispute to apportionment and to whether prior records document any related complaints.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Can trauma cause spinal stenosis?
How does that affect the defense?
